Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport division of Hero MotoCorp has announced that it will be participating in the upcoming 2018 Merzouga Rally to be held in Morocco from April 15-20, 2018. This will be the team's first international rally of the year, and will also kick-start its campaign 'Road to Dakar 2019'. Hero MotoSports will be represented by riders CS Santosh and Oriol Mena at the Merzouga Rally this year. With both riders completing the 2018 Dakar Rally, Merzouga will be the new testing ground as they polish their skills on the bike.

Both Oriol Mena and CS Santosh secured thier career best finish at Dakar 2018. While Santosh managed to finish 35th overall, Mena took home the title of the best rookie rider for the year, finishing in 7th place. Hero MotoSports has announced that its third rider Joaquim Rodrigues will be serving as a mentor for Merzouga rally, as he still continues his recovery from the injuries of his crast during the first stage of Dakar 2018. The riders will be piloting the Hero RR 450 rally ready motorcycle, which proved to be quite competitive during this year's Dakar outing.

The 2018 Merzouga Rally is being organised in the Merzouga region of Morocco, which is known for its large dunes and extremely soft sand. The rally will start with a short prologue on April 15, which will be followed by five days in rallying that also includes two days of the Marathon stage. The participation will help the team gain valuable race time and experience, which will help in the development for Dakar, the team announced.